Category: Adopting Asia

This is post #17 in our series highlighting families who are adopting special needs orphans from Asia. International adoptions are long, tiring and expensive affairs but these families strive on because they want to share their home with an orphan who needs it and because they know they will be blessed by the child/children they are opening their hearts to. Through these posts i hope to provide you with an opportunity to be a small part of their journey. These families truly need emotional, spiritual and financial support so please read their stories and help where you can.

Families Who Are Home:

The Anderson Family is home with Jake and Finn and all are doing well. You can follow their journey here.

The Speelman Family is home with Seth. You can follow their journey here.

Families Who Are Still On Their Journey:

The Aschoff Family will be leaving in less than 24 hours!! That’s right, they will fly on October 25th to go bring Leo home. They are still short US$3200 and are asking for YOUR HELP! Please help them meet this very last funding need! You can contribute directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Fraley Family has had a setback. They have already been on this adoption journey for 2.5 years! Abby’s and Autumn’s country has just now decided that their homestudy needs to be re-done. This is costing them lots of funds and time. Please please HELP by buying from their Adoption Shop. You can contribute to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Cassel Family will be travelling in a week’s time to bring Shawna (Hannah) home. They still need about US$5000. They are fundraising through the sale of beautiful handmade pens – check them out here. You can contribute to their adoption grant here.

The Duvall Family is in the final stages of their journey – they are waiting for Travel Approval and they hope to travel in November. They are just US$500 shy of fully funded. Please do help them meet this last tiny bit of funding. They still have their Puzzle Fundraiser. You can also contribute to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Maples Family has had so many roadblocks and now finally after 17 months, they are in the final stages. They are still short US$5000 and hope to travel to bring Coral (Callie) home in the second week of December. They have a T-shirt Fundraiser here. You can give directly to their adoption grants here and here. You can follow their journey here.

Laurence’s Family has completed their dossier and has received USCIS Approval. You can give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Lee Family is still waiting on LOA so they can bring Phineas and Love home. They are still in need of much funding. Please help them raise the funds they need. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Stickley Family is waiting for USCIS Approval. They have a matching grant of US$5000. When their FSP reaches, US$5246 another US$5000 will be added, which will be a great help in bringing Maddox and Amos home. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Dubbs Family has done their update of their homestudy and is now waiting for Travel Approval. They are still in need of US$28,000! They have a Stella & Dot Fundraiser here. They also have a Lifesong for Orphans Matching Grant of US$4000! They need this. To help them meet this grant, you would have to contribute to their Lifesongs’ account – see details here. You can give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The King Family has just returned with 2 adopted daughter in February and has PA (pre-approval) to re-use their dossier for Leanne who will be turning 12 in June. Their blog link and FSP will be up soon. Stay tuned. In the meantime, do pray for them as they start the long international adoption process again.

The Nap Family is waiting on Travel Dates. Please pray for the trip the family will make to bring Lenny home and pray for Lenny’s heart to be ready to receive his new family. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Goodwin Family has finished their dossier and it is on the way to Elijah’s and Isaiah’s country. They hope to travel just after the new year. You can give towards their adoption grant here. You can follow their updates on that same link. They also have all their fundraisers and updates on this FB page.

The Preciado Family has LID (Log-in-date) which means their dossier is in Hallie’s country’s administration system. They have the following fundraisers: Enter “Family Preciado”in the order notes when purchasing from Johari Creations and Ginger On A Mission and they will receive a percentage of the sales, for Our Visiting Orphans please designate “Preciado”and they will again receive a percentage. You can also give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Bison Family‘s dossier is OOT (Out-of-translation), which means TA will not be far behind. Do continue to pray for their family and for Lisa (Gracie) as this is a big life change for all involved. You can give towards their adoption grants here and here. You can follow their journey here.

The Matthews Family has completed their homestudy and is waiting on USCIS Approval. They are still in need of funds to bring Paxton and Noah (Corbin) home. They have a wonderful Bamboletta Doll Giveaway (if you have never seen these dolls you have to – i LOVE these dolls!) – take part here. They are also a Young Living Rep – buy from them here and part of the sale goes to their adoption. You can also give directly to their adoption grant here and here. You can follow their journey here.

The O’Brien Family has the Article 5 and now they wait for court approval and issue of their boy’s passport. Please pray that there will no delays. You can give towards their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Thomas Family‘s dossier is in Lily’s country and they have received news that it is OOT (Out-of-translation) which means they are waiting on LOA (Letter of Approval). They are still in need of funding. You can give towards their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Bishop Family has LOA and hope to travel in January to bring Aran home. You can give towards their adoption grant here.

This is part of my series of posts highlighting families who are adopting special needs children from Asia. Why? Because God has moved my heart to care for these precious children and for the families who are willingly following God’s call to give unconditional love and a caring home for these who need it so much. Because these families who are spending all their time, energies and monies into the very long and expensive paperwork process, which is international adoption, need you and me to stand with them, support them emotionally, spiritually and financially. So please read and support them. Thank you.

Families Who Are Home:

The Wetherington Familyis home with Elliette and Henry. Both kiddos are doing well. Their blog is here.

The Monier Familyis home with Channah (Grace). They are settling into a new normal for their family with the addition on a teenage-girl. Their blog is here.

The Smith Familyis home with Barry. He is doing well in his new family. Their blog is here.

The Settles Family is home with Hudson (Jakx). They are all getting comfortable in their new house. Their blog is here.

The West Family is home with Nicholas… well, almost. They are still in country for a few more days for final paperwork but they have Nicholas and are enjoying their get-to-know-each-other time. Their blog is here.

The Murray Family is home with Breck (Jonah). They were battling a number of illnesses in the family. We pray they are all well on the road to recovery. Their blog is here.

The Dasher Family is home with Nathan (Jadon). They are all learning to adjust to the new family dynamics of having a little boy at home. Their blog is here.

Families Who Are Still On Their Journey:

The Aschoff Family has their Article 5 and is waiting on High Court Order, which should be in 8 weeks. After that, they should travel in 2 weeks to bring Leo home. They are US$4443.54 away from being fully funded. They are running another t-shirt fundraiser -check it out here! Their Bravelet Fundraiser is still running – very lovely bracelets for a great cause! You can contribute directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Fraley Family is still waiting on approval from Autumn’s and Abby’s country. Do pray that they will receive approval soon. They have fundraisers posted on this FB page. You can contribute to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Cassel Familyhas Letter of Approval (LOA), so it is just a few more steps before they travel to bring Shawna (Hannah) home. They hope to travel in October. They are fundraising through the sale of beautiful handmade pens – check them out here. You can contribute to their adoption grant here.

The Duvell Family has soft LOA (that’s the email version of the paper). They are hoping to travel in November. They have also been able to send Jimmy (Asher) a little care package. They still need a couple of thousand to be fully funded. Do support them. They still have their Puzzle Fundraiser. You can also contribute to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Anderson Family has LOA and Travel Approval (TA). Their adoption is paid for but they still need travel expenses – flights, hotel, in-country expenses etc – all calculated at about US$11,000. They need funds ASAP! Please help them to meet this last need with this latest fundraiser – Quilt Fundraiser – details here! Please continue to pray for Danny’s health. You can contribute to their adoption funds here. You can follow their journey here.

The Maples Familyis waiting on LOA, after which they hope to get TA really soon. Then they can travel to bring Coral home. With all the delays and changing agencies, they are still in need of funds. Please help by purchasing soft crochet scarves here. You can give directly to their adoption grants here. You can follow their journey here.

The Speelman Family will be travelling on September 12th to bring Seth (Simon) home. They sent Simon and his foster family a nice little care package. They are still in need of funds for plane tickets. They will be holding another garage sale (check here to see if you are local to them) and are still selling CDs – check here. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

Laurence’s Family is waiting on approval of their homestudy and then their dossier is ready to be sent out. They have a new fundraiser – Celebrate Home – check out the lovely home products! You can give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Lee Family has added Love as the daughter they will bring home together with Phineas! And they are DTC (Dossier-to-Country) and have LID (Log-In-Date)! So it will not be long before LOA and then travel. They still need about US$12,000. Please help them raise the funds they need. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Stickley Family has completed their homestudy and are onto getting their dossier together. Please do support them as they are very stretched from having just returned some months ago from an expedited international adoption. And now they have simply turned around to go back for Maddox and Amos. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Dubbs Familyhas been informed that their LOA is at their agency office but they are needing to get their homestudy re-done as they moved to another state. They are working on it as fast as they can so that Emma and Shailey do not wait any longer than is needed. Please pray that this new homestudy is completed asap. You can give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The King Family has just returned with 2 adopted daughter in February and has PA (pre-approval) to re-use their dossier for Leanne who will be turning 12 in June. Their blog link and FSP will be up soon. Stay tuned. In the meantime, do pray for them as they start the long international adoption process again.

The Nap Familyhas LID and is now waiting for LOA. Grandpa passed away just a couple of days after they received LID. The family is grieving so please do pray for them in this difficult time. It is sad that Lenny will not be able to meet his grandpa. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Goodwin Family has completed their homestudy and are waiting for the final copy to be sent to USCIS for approval. You can give towards their adoption grant here. You can follow their updates on that same link. They also have all their fundraisers and updates on this FB page.

The Preciado Familyhas USCIS Approval. Next stop DTC. Travel in January to bring Hallie home is on schedule. They have the following fundraisers: Enter “Family Preciado”in the order notes when purchasing from Johari Creations and Ginger On A Mission and they will receive a percentage of the sales, for Our Visiting Orphans please designate “Preciado”and they will again receive a percentage. You can also give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Bison Familyhas USCIS Approval. Now they have to get their whole dossier authenticated and then the whole parcel has to be sent to Lisa’s country. They are still in need of funds and have a lovely Jewelry Giveaway! Check it out! You can give towards their adoption grants here and here. You can follow their journey here.

The Matthews Familyhas 5 grown children and has also opened their home to foster children (8 have come through their doors to date) so they are not new to caring for children who need it the most. Now they have taken the step to bring Paxton and Noah (Corbin) home. They have PA (Pre-approval) and are waiting for the final copy of their homestudy. Then the paperwork is off to USCIS for approval. They need US$11,000 in order to send their dossier to country and have a time limit – by September 24th. Please help them to get the funds to send the dossier. They have a US$1000 matching grant from Homeland Children’s Foundation to meet – help them meet it. You can give to their GoFundMe account. Stand by for a Halloween Costume Fundraiser – details here! They also have an American Girl Doll Giveaway here. They are also a Young Living Rep – buy from them here and part of the sale goes to their adoption. You can also give directly to their adoption grant here and here. You can follow their journey here.

The O’Brien Family brought their little girl home 5 years ago and have been trying since to adopt another child but they have had 2 countries close their program and one lost referral. But God is good. They have found their boy – a little brother for their girl Cecelia. They are currently waiting for Article 5 and after that they will need their boy’s home country to approve at state level and then at national level. After which court and then their boy’s passport will be prepared, then they can travel to pick him up. Do pray that this whole process will have no delays. They have waited so very long for this little guy to join their family. Fundraisers are in the pipeline so stay tuned. You can give towards their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Thomas Familyhas had their hearts broken when an adoption ban in 2013 stopped them from bringing home their beloved daughter. They have taken time to seek their next steps and God has led them to Lily. They have PA (Pre-Approval) for Lily and are now waiting on USCIS Approval so they can send their dossier. They are about US$5000 away from being fully funded. Do support them. You can give towards their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Bishop Family is not new to special needs. Both have worked with special needs and have opened their hearts to all possibilities when they were looking to adopt. After a failed domestic adoption, God led them to Aran. They are currently waiting on LOA and hope to travel in the Fall. Support them with your prayers for their upcoming t-shirt fundraiser and stay tuned for details on that fundraiser. You can give towards their adoption grant here.

Post #15 in our All From Asia series. This is where we raise awareness for families who are bringing home precious children from Asia. These families are on a difficult journey; long paperchase, long flights, weeks in a strange country where they usually don’t speak the language. The whole affair from start to finish is so much emotional and financial strain that they would not be able to do it without a supportive community – that community which you, dear readers, are a part of and we thank you for all that you do; praying, giving and sharing the needs of these families and their children.

Families Who Are Home:

The Huhn Family has been home with Ava (Josie) for 3 weeks now. You can follow the rest of their story here.

The Rakoczy Familyis home with Daniel, just 7 days ago. They are facing some challenges and ask for prayers. Please do remember them in prayer. You can follow the rest of their journey here.

Families Who Are Still On Their Journey:

The Wetherington Family has Eilliette and Henry with them now. They praise the Lord and thank all their supporters; they were fully funded just before travelling. They are finishing up final paperwork in country now and will be home soon. You can follow their journey here.

The Monier Family is in country now and will be meeting Grace (Channah) in a few days! Praise the Lord they were fully funded just before they travelled. Now they have some paperwork to finish up, after which they get on a jet plane and bring Gracie home. You can follow their journey here.

The Ashoff Family has USCIS Approval and they are now waiting for Article 5. Then it’s just one more step before they travel to bring Leo home. They are still in need of US$4443.54 to be fully funded. Please support their fundraisers – Bravelet and Window Clings; make a purchase and help them close this gap. You can contribute directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Fraley Family is still waiting on approval from Autumn’s and Abby’s country. Do pray that they will receive approval soon. They have fundraisers posted on this FB page. You can contribute to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Cassel Family is waiting for the official referral from Shawna’s (Hannah) country. They are still hoping to be able to bring Shawna home late summer. They are fundraising through the sale of beautiful handmade pens – check them out here. You can contribute to their adoption grant here.

The Duvall Family has LID (Log-In-Date) which means their dossier is officially in the adoption system of Jimmy’s (Asher) country. Now they wait for LOA (Letter Of Approval) and then they can travel. They are still a little over US$9000 short. Please help them get the remaining funds by shopping for lovely crochet items at their Esty Shop. You can also contribute to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Anderson Family‘s super-expedite process is stalled because the hard copy of their LOA has not arrived. Wayne’s and Danny’s officials said they have sent it and now they have re-sent it. Please pray that hard copy of LOA will arrive ASAP! They need it to get to the next step. Please also continue to pray for Wayne’s health. They are still short of funds!! They have been offered a matching grant of US$4000 which means if supporters can contribute and help grow their FSP to US$11436, the donor will put in that US$4000. After which they will still need about US$8000 to be fully funded. They have their fundraisers listed here and they have a new t-shirt fundraiser here. They also have an Usborne Fundraiser here and an Origami Owl Fundraiser here. Please do take part in their fundraisers and help them reach their boys. You can contribute to their adoption funds here and here. You can follow their journey here.

The Smith Family is just days away from travelling to bring Barry home. Praise the Lord they are fully funded. Please do pray for a safe and hassle-free trip. You can follow their journey here and here.

The Maples Family has finally had progress. Praise the Lord! They are now waiting for LOA and then it will be TA and then they travel to bring Coral home. With all the delays and changing agencies, they are still in need of funds. Please help by purchasing soft crochet scarves here. You can give directly to their adoption grants here and here. You can follow their journey here.

The Settles Family is on their way to the airport as i write this. They will be in country tomorrow to bring Hudson home. They have worked hard at fundraising but still fell short of about US$1000. There is still time to get help them get that last bit of funding. You can give directly to their adoption grant here and here. You can keep updated via their FB page here. You can follow their journey here.

The West Family’s progress has been stalled and they are not sure why. They are supposed to be on a medical-expedite route. Please PRAY that their paperwork will get processed quickly and that they will be informed ASAP about TA (Travel Approval). Please also PRAY for Nicholas’ health, they have not been updated on his health status. Praise the Lord that they are fully funded. You can follow their journey here.

The Speelman Family has LOA! Now they wait for TA and plan travel dates to bring Seth (Simon) home. They hope to travel in September and still need US$7000. They are selling Kids CDs with a download option, you can get details and listen to a sample here. They are also asking for prayers for their 2 boys, especially the oldest who would have just started Kindergarten a few days before they leave to bring Seth home. Please pray for everyone’s adjustment as they add to their family. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

Laurence’s Familyis still trying to get the last bit of their homestudy done. They have another fundraiser on now – Keep the Change for Lance – find out more here. You can give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Lee Family is waiting on DTC (Dossier to Country) so they can bring Phineas home asap. They have had their Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser; we have not yet heard how that went but we hope it went well. In the meantime, you can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Stickley Family has completed their homestudy and are onto getting their dossier together. Please do support them as they are very stretched from having just returned a few months ago from an expedited international adoption. And now they have simply turned around to go back for Maddox and Amos. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Dubbs Family has LID (Log-In-Date), which means that their dossier is officially in the adoption system of Emma’s and Shailey’s country. Now they wait for LOA. They are still needing about US$35,000. They have a Lilla Rose Fundraiser going on now – details here – make a purchase and help them. You can give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The King Family has just returned with 2 adopted daughter in February and has PA (pre-approval) to re-use their dossier for Leanne who will be turning 12 in June. Their blog link and FSP will be up soon. Stay tuned. In the meantime, do pray for them as they start the long international adoption process again.

The Nap Family needs just one more piece of paper to complete their dossier and hopes to be DTC by July 15th. Please pray that paperwork will move along at lightening speed. They have just discovered that Grandpa has a growth in his brain but they are praying for a miracle so Grandpa can meet his grandson. Please pray along with them. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Murray Family is in country now and doing the final paperwork. Breck has been with Daddy Murray for a little over a week now. They are still in need of some funds so please give. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Goodwin Family has Pre-Approval for both Elijah and Isaiah. They are also working on their dossier, just another few documents needed. You can give towards their adoption grant here. You can follow their updates on that same link. They also have all their fundraisers and updates on this FB page.

The Preciado Family knew from the get-go that they will be adopting to grow their family and just a year after being married, they are on their first international adoption journey to bring Hallie (Helen) home. They have just finished compiling their dossier and are now awaiting for fingerprints. They hope to travel in January. They are about US$10,000 from being fully funded. They have the following fundraisers: Enter “Family Preciado”in the order notes when purchasing from Johari Creations and Ginger On A Mission and they will receive a percentage of the sales, for Our Visiting Orphans please designate “Preciado” and they will again receive a percentage. They are also running an Envelope Fundraiser, details here. So many ways to help – pick one. You can also give directly to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Dasher Family is not new to adoption, this will be their third international adoption and fourth adopted child. They will be bringing home Nathan. They are almost at the end of their journey; they travel on JULY 11th to Nathan’s country. BUT they are still short of funds. We still have an opportunity to help them meet some of those last funding needs. Please do help them. You can give to their adoption grant here. You can follow their journey here.

The Bison Family has embarked on their first international adoption journey. Both Mama and Papa Bison have a heart for special needs persons and they will be bringing home Lisa (Gracie). They have their homestudy completed and now wait for USCIS Approval. They have been fundraising through t-shirt and yard sales. They currently have an Online Auction on – check here! You can give towards their adoption grants here and here. You can follow their journey here.

2 families home. 3 new families. 23 families whom you can help by praying for them, sharing their needs and giving financially. Please do help. Thank you very much for all your support and efforts.